We strolled along the path, peacefully, the sound of our feet tapping against the concrete. The rustling of leaves and the water lapping at the stones near us accompanied by the birds above created a wholesome atmosphere, it was everything anyone could ever want. I felt smile pulling at my lips as I enjoyed the beautiful weather. "Hey, Kai?" I spoke in a breathless whisper, energy filling my body. I took his hand in mine and turned around, a mischievous smile playing on my lips. I walked backward in front of him, forcing a confused but amused expression on his face.

"What in the world are you doing, Sophia?" He chuckled, a smile etched on his face. Mischief danced through my eyes as I pulled his hand before letting go and running up the path.

I turned my head and shouted, whilst running. "Come on!" Even then, I couldn't stop laughing. It seemed Kai was living up to his promise, I was having fun. My hair flew behind me, like the cape a child would wear.

"Hey!" Kai's rapid footsteps came up behind me. "Can't leave me behind that easily!" his fingers wrapped around my wrist. I looked back, meeting his joyful gaze, sharing a smile.

I laughed and pulled him up the last bit of the hill, where we reached the lake. "Isn't it beautiful?" I couldn't pry my eyes away from the light that glazed the rippling water. It was like the gold in the middle of a treasure chest, beautiful and precious. Slowly, I felt Kai's hand move down to my hand, but I was too focused on the lake to care.

So, there we stood. Two teenagers, alone at the top of a hill, blissfully ignorant of the world, just admiring what we could see. I broke away from the trance the lake had drowned me in and looked up at the boy beside me. His smile hadn't faded as he stared at the reflectant water, but his eyes held a peaceful look. He turned to me with a grin,"Are you gonna keep staring or do you wanna start exploring?"

I rolled my eyes playfully, hitting his shoulder. "Oh, shut up. Let's go!" I shot him a bright smile before running down the rocky path.

"Hey! Slow down!" He laughed from behind.

"Fine!" I droned with a grin. Kai caught my hand in his own with a small blush. I looked down at the ground, a small smile playing on my lips while my cheeks dusted pink. "Thanks for this." I looked up, focusing on the path ahead of us.

"No need to thank me." He laughed quietly. "I'm having fun, myself."

"That's good," I whispered, staring at the trees blocking the sunlight. We stood on a path beside the lake, on our other side there was a clearing going down the hill, but in front of us, the path led to the edge of a forest.

"I'm glad we're hanging out, it's been a while since we last did."

"Yea, we miss hanging with you too." I smiled softly.

"We?" He questioned, looking over at me.

"Audre and I," I responded.

"Oh." His body language seemed to signal that something was wrong.

"You miss her, don't you?" My grip on his hand tightened a little.

He was hesitant about answering at first, but then he sighed and began to speak. "Of course, I just don't think she misses me much. Why hold onto someone that doesn't care about you the way you care about them?"

I felt bad that he thought that Audre didn't care because I knew how much it hurt her that she'd lost such a great friend. "But, you shouldn't give up when there's a chance, even if it's small, that they do care."

"That's true... When we were falling out, I felt like I was doing something wrong because she was just drifting away. I was so... scared. I was afraid of not having the person I trusted most." His hair fell forward as he looked down at the ground. "I was afraid of being alone when I needed someone. I was being selfish, I know, but I didn't want to let her go."

"That's not selfish at all!" I wanted to hug him and tell him everything that Audre had told me, but I couldn't do that. I can help them, but I can't fix them. "Change is hard, especially when it leaves you all alone. Change can feel like a curse, but I like to think that everything happens for a reason, good or bad. Sometimes friends fall out for a while because they need time to grow as people, but then they come back together because they could never really leave each other."

A small smile fought its way onto his face. "That's a nice thought."

"Well..." I pulled out my phone to check the time. "It's already one o'clock. Do you want to stay here or do you want lunch?"

"Let's stay here a little while longer." His gaze stayed fixated on the ground, so I led him to a bench by the water.

"Kai... let's hang out more." I smiled as he looked up. "I like hanging out with you."

"Sure, let's hang out more." He smiled back.

"Now!" I announced, jumping to my feet. "I need a selfie as proof that we hung out." I grinned stupidly.

"Alright, then." He grinned back, snatching my phone away and opening the camera. I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder with a content smile.

"How To Be Perfect, Challenge #2: Completed. Everything happens for a reason, good and bad." I read aloud before posting the picture on Insta.

"How To Be Perfect?" Kai spoke questioningly. "You're already perfect." He whispered, not knowing that I had heard every word.

A/N Hey, guys! I'm going to do this new thing where I'll ask a question and you guys can answer in the comment section! Today's question is:

What's a silly dream you have for the future?

A silly dream I have is one day being able to just get in my car and drive. Not knowing where I'm going and just discover new things, even in the small state I live in. It's silly, but I still want to do it someday. :)

-DuaHussain0